Howdy. What do you consider acceptable accuracy. For me I'm not happy if i can't get 1 inch groups or better out of a bolt action ( bench shootin with bags). I expected better with the savage 12fv and it didn't let me down it will shoot 1/2 inch groups when i do my part. I have sold guns that I couldn't get 1 inch groups with hand loads. I seem to be stuck on the inch mark. Whats your keep it or sell it accuraccy.
Joe

Most of us would be thrilled with consistently getting one inch groups at 100 yards. Even two inch groups would satisfy the requirements of most hunters and shooters who practice infrequently. I consider a one-inch group to be the sound barrier of acceptable accuracy at 100 yards. Sometimes I achieve it and sometimes I don't. All the best...
Gil

At a hundred yards? .30-30....2 1/2 -3". .30-06....1" or less.
At Two hundred yards? .30-30....inside a 6" dot. .30-06...2-3"...

All these bench rested on sand bags.

243 loaded with a 60 grain HP 5 shots in the same hole at 100 yards, rifle is Mosburg 24 inch barrel with 8 rifles in the barrel, loaded with 48 grains of winchester 760

SM

Accuracy parameters for me depend on whether a firearm is for competition, hunting or self defense. For game, the rifle must be accurate enough to consistently kill the intended game within realistic ranges.

On the bench, my hornet and 243 better be < 1".
I just sold my 30-30 for a Marlin 1894c (357). I will expect it to do </= 2" on the bench. Field shooting from sitting or using tree/rocks/stumps for rest I know I need < 2" with hornet, < 3" with 243, and < 4" with 357. Max range for the 357 would be around 120yds....depends on circumstances.

Wow... maybe I need to lighten up a little bit with my expectations.

Varmint rifles like .22-250 I like being in the sub .6"
Hunting rifles I like to be in the < 1" range
Muzzle Loaders I like to be < 2"

My wifes .243 shoots 2" no mater what load I feed it and it bugs me to no end even though she takes it and 1 shots critters all day long. Going to be floating it this winter after Christmas is done to see if it helps.

My 7STW with cheap-o rem junk ammo shoots .75". With Premium Rem Safari ammo it shoots 1.5" (swift-AFrames). Reloading I cant get it under 2" LOL


-DallanC

Quote::

My 7STW with cheap-o rem junk ammo shoots .75". With Premium Rem Safari ammo it shoots 1.5" (swift-AFrames). Reloading I cant get it under 2" LOL

I hear you Dallan......I have been working up loads for my 270 all summer and the best I can get consistently is 1 1/2". I took out some Winchester Supremes with 140 gr Fail safes and the darn thing put the whole box into .85" or less (groups of 5) Makes me wonder why I bother hand loading, except that I do love it so much.

Blaine

For me it all depends upon what I'm going to use the gun for. I have a 308 and a 300 ultra mag able to shoot well under 1/2" if I do my part. I also have an AR 15 that will do the same. On the other hand I have an FAL that I cannot get to shoot under 2 inches at hundred yards. (I still love shooting it though.) if at all possible I really like to have my guns shoot around 1 inch at 100 yards.

IMO Acceptable Accuracy to me is dependent upon the end use of the firearm in question and the maximum range that it will be used at.

Varmint, competition and "bean field" firearms need to be able to shoot sub 1" groups. This to me breaks down further to .5" - 10 shot groups for my Varmint guns, .75" - 10 shot groups for my competition guns and < 1" - 3 shot groups for my "beanies". In addition with the beanies I also keep a record of "Cold/Clean Bore Shots" that is I log each first shot by distance from the aim point to within 1/16". This shot is the first shot taken no less than 24 hours since the last shot and the barrel cleaned. Also prior to this shot the bore is swabbed with a patch with lighter fluid and then a dry patch to remove any oil in the bore.

Other Big Game firearms I look at what kind of sights I will use on them and for scoped firearms (rifle) 1.5” at 100 yards (pistol) 2.5” & Contender 1”. For metalic/open sights (rifle/muzzleloader) 2” at 100 yards, (pistol) 3” at 50 yards and Contender 3” at 75 yards. This is from sandbag rests.

For actual practice I use standard paper plates as targets and limit my hunting shots to the distance that I am able to keep all shots on the plate, ie. if I can keep all my offhand shots on a paper plate at 75 yards with an open sighted revolver but cannot keep them all on at 100 I will limit my hunting shots to no more than 75 yards. If sitting with the same revolver and I can put all on the plate at 100 then in that position I will use 100 yards as my limit. The same goes with any other firearm that I use for hunting big game.

As a side, the .358 Winchester I am building up to shoot the 225gr. Nosler BT I am putting a 1.25” expectation on it but feel that I will get better results than this.

So long as I can put my shots into the head of a rabbit at 100 every time it'll do

Off the bench, sandbags, 100 yd. range, I'm lucky if I can put all the shots on a Redfield target . Can we say I'm "Pew" off the bench! Sight mine in while Groundhog hunting, prone, Harris bipod, works for me.
I also check my zero by shooting at soft balls at different ranges, figure clicks, go hunting.
BSSS

Flint54...Lighter fluid? Did I miss something when I attended firearm cleaning 101???

BSSS...Welcome to the site...Sit...Have a beer....

Well......."Acceptable" and "Expectable" are what i fall upon often. Any name brand bolt action rifle that can't shoot MOA @ 100 yards is not worth a darn to me. However, i will accept over 1" from a certain manufacturers....well, their cheap line of rifles. Case in point, the Remington 710.....The first run of these guns were in deed dispicable to say the least!!!.......With 3" @ 100 yards, a very slow (too tight) bolt opperation i did expect that from Remington in their attempts to (Horribly) compete in the "Savage arm dollar amount"

Although with Winchester, i have came across ONE that shot for Sh17 and i sent it back with their intention of what i expected out of the firearm, and what i have always gotten from a Winchester. Free of charge, my 30/06 came back cloverleafing at 100 yards!

But like Flint54 says it depends on the actual use, caliber, and style of gun to make a good (and to somewhat sum it up) cognitive decision on what's very well Acceptable and Expectable.

Depends on the rifle and the sighting system.

My eyes don't care much for iron sights which is why most of my rifles sport glass. I cut the iron-sighted rifles a lot of slack because I know it isn't their problem.

The Marlins are ambidextrous if you will - they have glass in Quick Detach rings. It doesn't matter how they shoot with the iron but I look for 2" or better with the glass. So far I've been pretty happy with most loads.

The glass sighted bolt rifles are a different story. I can tolerate 1.5" at 100 yards but much prefer 1.0" or less. The less the better. If I can't get 1" I look for a different load and so far I have not been disappointed.